Breakfast Leadership Show
by Michael D. Levitt
The Breakfast Leadership Show, hosted by leadership consultant and burnout expert Michael D. Levitt, is a globally ranked leadership podcast exploring how executives build stronger organizations, better leadership systems, and healthier workplace cultures. Each episode features conversations with founders, executives, and industry experts on topics such as leadership operating systems, leadership decision making, executive leadership consulting, organizational leadership systems, and leadership burnout prevention. Listeners gain practical insight into how leadership teams improve performance, reduce burnout, and design the structures that drive sustainable growth. The show covers leadership strategy, workplace culture, decision
Episodes
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Mark Miller on Escaping Leadership Quicksand
Episode Summary Mark Miller joined Chick-fil-A as a teenager in 1978, when founder Truett Cathy personally interviewed him and the company had just 15 corporate employees. Over 45 years he started the company's corporate communications, quality and customer satisfaction, organizational...
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AI in Marketing: How Agents, Claude Skills, and Security Risks Are Rewriting the Buyer Journey with Michael Cucchi
AI is moving faster than any technology wave most executives have lived through, and marketing sits at the front of it. Michael D. Levitt talks with Michael Cucchi, Chief Product and Marketing Officer at Hydrolix, a real-time analytics platform built for internet scale. Both worked in IT through...
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Strategy Is Attitude: Why Brilliant People Still Fail | Ganzorig Ulziibayar
Ganzorig Ulziibayar spent twenty years as a CEO, starting as a staff member and rising through the ranks before founding his own business. He is now chairman of a financial group made up of three insurance companies, an asset manager and an investment bank, and he is the author of Strategy as...
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Systems Thinking Over Silos: Ilene Fischer on Building Organizations That Can Actually Change
Episode Overview Michael Levitt sits down with Ilene Fischer, a former chemical engineer turned organizational change consultant who spent ten years working alongside Peter Senge at Innovation Associates and eight years with Tom Peters. Ilene's new book, Innovation Ecosystems: A Dynamic Blueprint...
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Hire AI Like Talent, Not Technology | Mike Sullivan on Workforce Intelligence
Summary Mike Sullivan is co-founder and Chief Growth Officer at OneDigital, an insurance and financial services organization with roughly 6,000 people across the United States and Canada. He is also co-author of the bestselling book Workforce Intelligence. He came on to talk about what three…
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Stephanie Houser on Fear, Focus, and Real Leadership Growth
GUEST BIO Stephanie Houser is a former Fortune 500 executive turned consultant, entrepreneur, and speaker. After 12 years in corporate leadership, she now runs a consulting practice focused on process, risk, product, and technology development for growing businesses. She also operates a...
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Leading While Limping: Dr. Santarvis Brown on Impact-Driven Leadership and Scalable Business Growth
Dr. Santarvis Brown, educator, pastor, author, and Chief Education Officer at ProQ, joins Michael D. Levitt on the Breakfast Leadership Show for a powerful conversation about leading with purpose. With over 20 years in education and 15 years in pastoral ministry, Dr. Brown brings academic rigor,...
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Embracing Your Own Purgatory: Geoff Curtis on Identity, Purpose, and the Power of Sitting with Uncertainty After a Career Exit
Most books about life after a career transition are written after the author has figured it all out. Geoff Curtis wrote his while still inside the uncertainty. That intentional choice is at the heart of "Embracing Your Own Purgatory," and it is what makes his perspective so rare and so honest....
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Deep Story: How Bob Rogers Creates Experiences That Transform
What You Will Learn In this episode, you will discover how the most powerful experiences are engineered around a single shared emotional trigger that lives in both the audience and the brand simultaneously. You will learn why most corporate and museum experiences entertain without transforming…
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Why Change Management Fails: Kathy Solberg on Workplace Transformation and the Future of AI in Leadership
Kathy Solberg Book Discussion Michael welcomed Kathy Solberg to discuss her background and book. Kathy shared her career journey from academia to running a leadership program and starting her own consulting company, Common Unity Consulting. She mentioned her upcoming book "Practical Tools for...
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Facilitation Skills for Project Managers featuring Barry Rosen
Barry Rosen has spent decades at Interaction Associates, a firm he joined in 1984 after being drawn to their focus on making meetings more effective. He began his career training teams at Ford, Dow, and DuPont during the early era of quality initiatives, teaching engineers and project managers…
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Deep Dive: Employee Engagement and Mental Health: What CEOs Must Fix
Episode Summary Employee engagement and mental health are often treated as separate line items on an HR dashboard, but they are actually two sides of the same coin. With global engagement falling to just one in five employees and stress levels rising, CEOs must recognize that disengagement is...
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Trucking Accident Law with Attorney Brent Stewart
Episode Summary In this episode of the Breakfast Leadership Show, host Michael D. Levitt sits down with Brent Stewart, owner of Stewart Law Offices, a personal injury firm serving North and South Carolina that has been in practice for thirty one years. Brent shares what drew him to personal…
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Cross-Cultural Leadership Lessons from Steve McKinney and Bryan McKinney
Steve McKinney spent the first thirteen years of his career in the athletic footwear industry, where he oversaw a five thousand person Reebok factory producing 1.2 million pairs of shoes a month and later led global product development for Adidas. In 2001 he founded McKinney Consulting in Seoul,...
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Melissa Robinson-Winemiller on Empathy as a Leadership Strategy: Reducing Burnout and Turnover
Episode Overview In this episode, Michael D. Levitt speaks with Melissa Robinson-Winemiller about the role of empathy in modern leadership and why it is no longer optional. Drawing from Melissa’s research and Michael’s real-world leadership experience, this conversation reframes empathy from a…
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Deep Dive: Stop Automating Failure
The "Deep Dive" into global expansion and AI adoption, featuring insights from Dr. Shan Nair on the Breakfast Leadership Show, centers on the idea that operational infrastructure, rather than strategy, is the true bedrock of successful scaling,,. The Core Thesis: "Automating Failure Faster" The...
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Antoniette Roze on How Public Speaking That Drives Action: Turning Voice into Leadership Impact
Episode Overview In this episode, Michael D. Levitt speaks with Antoniette Roze, speaker agent, podcast host, and voice strategist, about what separates average speakers from those who actually create transformation. This is not about stage presence. It is about using your voice as a leadership...
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How Global Companies Scale Internationally Without Compliance Chaos | Dr. Shan Nair
In this episode of the Breakfast Leadership Show, Michael D. Levitt speaks with Shan Nair about the realities of international business expansion, global compliance, AI adoption, and operational infrastructure. Dr. Nair shares his remarkable journey from nuclear physicist to international...
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How Business Owners Can Legally Reduce Taxes and Build Long-Term Wealth | Chris Miller
In this episode of the Breakfast Leadership Show, Michael D. Levitt sits down with Chris Miller to discuss how entrepreneurs and business owners can use legal tax strategies to preserve wealth and strengthen long-term financial stability. Chris shares insights from decades of experience helping...
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Why School Never Taught You How to Learn (And the Science That Fixes It) – with Tom Vorselen
In this episode of the Breakfast Leadership Show, I sit down with Tom Vorselen, founder of The Study Coach, to tackle a topic that impacts every leader, professional, and lifelong learner: why we were never actually taught how to learn. We unpack the hidden flaws in traditional education, why so...
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Deep Dive: Announcing Fractional AI Advisory Service
Breakfast Leadership Network is proud to introduce the Breakfast Leadership AI Advisory Service, a new offering built to help executives and organizations translate artificial intelligence from a buzzword into a working advantage. The service pairs proven leadership frameworks with practical AI...
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Why a LeadershipOS Review Is Crucial For Your Business
The operating model implication is clear: AI deployment is now fundamentally an organizational redesign challenge, not a software procurement exercise. Companies winning with AI are restructuring workflows, flattening management, embedding engineering into operations, and accelerating decision...
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How to Build Mental Toughness and Discipline for High Performance | Jace Graham
In this episode of the Breakfast Leadership Show, Michael D. Levitt speaks with Jace Graham about mental toughness, discipline, leadership, and the habits required to sustain high performance without burning out. Jace shares lessons from his personal and professional journey, discussing how...
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Shamir Duversau on Helping enterprise marketers improve the post-click journey through collaboration and experimentation
In this episode, Michael sits down with Shamir Duversau to unpack what most organizations are getting wrong about AI adoption and digital transformation. Shamir brings over 16 years of experience leading a technical marketing agency and shares insights from her career journey through major brands...
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Bobby Mascia on From Family Business to Exit Strategy: Building an Exit-Ready Leadership System
Episode Overview In this episode, Michael D. Levitt sits down with Bobby Mascia, wealth advisor, author of Unchained, and founder of the Exit Ready Institute. The conversation explores what most business owners avoid: planning for the end of their business journey. This is not about selling your...
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Deep Dive: The Heart of Leadership
Episode Overview In this episode, we explore the alarming surge in cardiac care demand and its direct link to systemic leadership stress. Featuring insights from Michael D. Levitt, Founder and Chief Burnout Officer of Breakfast Leadership, we move beyond the idea of "bad luck" to examine how…
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AI The Real Story About Adoption In Companies: With Tony Falco
Episode Summary In this episode of the Breakfast Leadership Show, I sit down with Tony Falco to explore the real story behind AI adoption in organizations—and it’s probably not what you think. We dig into how companies are rushing into AI without fully understanding their own workflows, and why...
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Deep Dive: The Execution Gap Leaders Are Facing with AI Deployment
Today's Deep Dive is from the Breakfast Leadership Newsbrief from June 2026 that highlights a critical execution gap currently paralyzing corporate leadership. Data suggests a massive decline in CEO confidence, as many organizations find themselves fundamentally unable to fulfill their own…
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Decentralized Finance Made Simple: Earn Passive Income Without Trading with Vadim Voss
Vadim Voss, founder of Next Level DeFi, joins the Breakfast Leadership Show to share how everyday people can put their money to work through decentralized finance without trading, without chart-watching, and without being a tech expert. His mission is to help one million people break free from a...
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Beyond the Plan: Why Smart Organizations Still Fail, with Dr. Kyle Harkema
Most organizations do not fail at strategy because the strategy is wrong. They fail because the organization never learns to behave as if the strategy is real. That is the central argument Dr. Kyle Harkema makes in his book Strategic Clarity. He is the creator of the Strategic Orientation Index...
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From Chemistry Lab to Corner Office: Scott Bening on Entrepreneurship, Integrity, and Reinventing Life After Business
What happens when a chemist accidentally becomes an entrepreneur — and then has to figure out who he is after he sells the company he built? Scott Bening, author of "Formulating Solutions" and the newly released "The Back Nine," joins the podcast to share a career story that is equal parts...
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Executive Intelligence Brief For Sunday June 14, 2026:
Current economic growth is being driven by a highly concentrated group of AI-focused companies, yet a significant governance gap threatens the sustainability of this expansion. Organizations are deploying autonomous AI agents at a pace that far exceeds their internal oversight and decision-making...
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Yasemin Kamci on Restaurant Industry Secrets: How to Treat Servers with Respect (And Why It Matters)
Episode Summary In this episode, I sit down with Yasemin to pull back the curtain on what it’s really like to work in the restaurant industry. From the fast-paced chaos of a dinner rush to the emotional labor that comes with serving guests day in and day out, we talk honestly about the realities...
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Célia Orsini on Designing Your Identity: Archaeology, AI, and Navigating Career Change
Episode Summary In this episode, I sit down with Celia to explore something we don’t often stop to think about: how much of our identity is actually shaped by choice. From design in our everyday lives to the deeper layers of heritage and archaeology, we unpack how identity isn’t fixed — it’s...
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Leadership and Neurodiversity: A Conversation with Wainwright Yu
Episode Summary In this episode, I sit down with Wain Yu to unpack a powerful and deeply personal conversation around leadership and neurodiversity. We explore how understanding neurodivergent traits—both in ourselves and others—can completely transform the way we lead, manage, and connect. Wain...
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How Leaders Can Overcome Fear, Stress, and Burnout Through Mindset Shifts | Jonathan Sherrill
In this episode of the Breakfast Leadership Show, Michael D. Levitt speaks with Jonathan Sherrill about the connection between mindset, leadership effectiveness, stress management, and burnout prevention. Jonathan shares insights on how fear, unresolved stress, and limiting beliefs quietly...
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Founder Gravity: Why You Are the Bottleneck in Your Own Business with Chris March
Episode Overview Michael Levitt sits down with executive advisor Chris March to discuss one of the most common yet underaddressed challenges facing founder-led businesses: the founder themselves becoming the primary obstacle to growth. Chris works with organizations generating between $5 million...
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Making Safety Happen with Brian Fielkow
Episode Overview In this episode, Michael sits down with Brian Fielkow to discuss his new book, Making Safety Happen, and why safety leadership belongs in the boardroom rather than the basement. Brian brings a compelling perspective shaped by his transition from corporate law to executive...
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Deep Dive: The Efficiency Mandate: Scaling AI Through Organizational Simplicity
This source argues that excessive organizational layers have transitioned from a sign of growth into a significant competitive disadvantage in the age of artificial intelligence. While many firms view AI solely as a tool for automation, its true value lies in its ability to streamline…
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The Preparation Principle: How Entrepreneurs Can Build a Business Ready to Sell | Eric Coonrod
Eric Coonrod In this episode of the Breakfast Leadership Show, I sit down with investment banker Eric Coonrod, who brings more than 22 years of experience helping businesses grow, scale, and successfully exit. From his early days in St. Louis to his work in New York and Los Angeles—including time...
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Scott Alldridge on The Hidden Risks of AI Adoption: Cybersecurity, Data Protection & Zero Trust Strategies
Breakfast Leadership Show – AI, Cybersecurity & Why Your Board Should Care In this episode of the Breakfast Leadership Show, I sit down with cybersecurity veteran Scott Alldridge to unpack the real risks organizations face as they rush into AI adoption without governance, guardrails, or…
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Reclaiming Decision-Making and Identity with John Fairclough
Episode Overview In this episode, Michael D. Levitt sits down with John Fairclough to explore why high-performing leaders often reach a point where success no longer feels aligned. The conversation focuses on decision-making patterns, identity drift, and how leaders can regain clarity through a...
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Matt Raad on How Burnt-Out Executives Build Digital Assets Without Quitting Their Job
Episode Overview Burnout is pushing executives to rethink their careers. But most make one critical mistake: they try to escape too fast. In this episode, Michael D. Levitt speaks with Matt Raad, digital investor and co-founder of eBusiness Institute, about how corporate professionals can...
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Why Middle Management Is Killing Your Execution Speed in 2026
Breakfast Leadership Executive Briefing May 17, 2026 Macro Environment Sustained volatility combined with accelerating AI integration pressure defines the current operating landscape. Organizations are shifting their structural priorities toward resilience, adaptability, and execution consistency...
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Why Organizational Complexity Is Becoming More Dangerous Than Competition
Michael gives his insights on why organizations that are complex are causing more harm than competition. Want to deploy AI the RIGHT way in your company? https://www.breakfastleadership.com/leadershipos Note: The Breakfast Leadership Show includes occasional paid partner episodes, in which the...
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Real Estate Investment Expert Insights with Jay Patel
Episode Show Notes: Real Estate Investment Expert Insights with Jay Patel In this episode, I sit down with real estate veteran Jay Patel, who brings over 30 years of hands-on experience across nearly every corner of the industry—from developing a 200-home gated community in Central Florida to...
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Deep Dive: Your Managers Are Obsolete (And You Haven’t Redefined Their Jobs Yet)
Episode Overview AI is not just changing how work gets done. It is forcing a structural redesign of leadership itself. In this episode, we break down why strategy is no longer the primary differentiator and how execution consistency has taken its place. We explore the emergence of the...
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Steve Brown on The AI Ultimatum: How Leaders Can Build an AI-First Business for Exponential Growth
Episode Summary In this episode, I sit down with Steve Brown, AI futurist and former Google DeepMind executive, to unpack what AI really means for leaders and businesses right now. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed, frozen, or stuck in “analysis paralysis” about AI—this conversation is for you. We...
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Deep Dive: AI Makes Bad Strategy Fail Faster
Episode Summary In this episode, we explore the shifting landscape of leadership in the age of Artificial Intelligence. While many organizations view AI as a tool for growth, the latest market signals suggest that AI doesn't reward ambition—it rewards discipline. We dive into why the traditional...
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Nurse Burnout Crisis: How to Reset, Heal, and Find Purpose Again With Nicole Johnson
In this episode of the Breakfast Leadership Show, I sit down with Nicole Johnson, a nurse turned entrepreneur who’s tackling one of the biggest challenges in healthcare today—burnout. Nicole opens up about her personal journey from working in critical care leadership to making the difficult...
About this show
The Breakfast Leadership Show, hosted by leadership consultant and burnout expert Michael D. Levitt, is a globally ranked leadership podcast exploring how executives build stronger organizations, better leadership systems, and healthier workplace cultures.
Each episode features conversations with founders, executives, and industry experts on topics such as leadership operating systems, leadership decision making, executive leadership consulting, organizational leadership systems, and leadership burnout prevention.
Listeners gain practical insight into how leadership teams improve performance, reduce burnout, and design the structures that drive sustainable growth. The show covers leadership strategy, workplace culture, decision
Hosted by
Michael D. Levitt